Darkest Before the Dawn
by ifonly13
Summary: "I've been a fool and I've been blind...it's always darkest before the dawn."


_A/N: A quick drabble that helped me pass the time before "Cops and Robbers" tonight. Somewhere on tumblr, someone posted the lyrics to Florence + The Machine's "Shake It Out" in tandem with some scenes from Castle. Well, needless to say, that song stuck with me after a few listens and this little piece is the result._

_Happy Halloween, my dear readers!_

**_Disclaimer: Yes. I am totally a writer on Castle. Actually, I'm Terri Miller herself. Did I fool you all? /endsarcasm_**

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><p>It was dark, the rainclouds deepening the black that had settled over the city long ago. Rain was falling; not a gentle mist or a drizzle, but a full-blown storm. Each drop sounded like a bullet against the windowpane. The lights were off in the apartment, the only illumination coming from a flickering candle on the coffee table, sending shadows dancing up onto the walls. The bright green numbers from the clock on the microwave told her it was nearly six thirty.<p>

That made a grand total of an hour of sleep for her.

Kate had spent the majority of the night on her couch in sweatpants and her mother's old law school sweatshirt with a scrapbook, saying goodbye for the first time. The photos ranged from candid shots of a pregnant Johanna to a last hug at the airport terminal before Johanna and Jim got back on the plane to fly home after dropping Kate off at Stanford. There were a few from the skating rink at Rockefeller Center, Kate's neon orange skates a compliment to her mother's brilliant pink. Then, they stopped. There were no happy memories to capture after that day in January.

Using the ragged sleeve of the dark grey sweatshirt, Kate wiped the errant tear off her cheek before it dropped onto the page. Then, her slender fingers running over the last photo, she closed the album and set it on the coffee table next to the candle.

"Goodbye, Mom."

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><p>The quiet snap of the coffee cup hitting her desk in the morning had a rush of joy passing through her body. Kate glanced over from the computer screen as he sat in the faded brown seat to her left, the twin coffee cup in his hand tilted back as he took a sip of his own drink.<p>

"Good morning, Detective."

She reached out, wrapped her fingers around the warm cup. She played with the sleeve around the exterior, picking at the cardboard. "Morning, Castle." His silence had her looking over at him, one brow raised.

He placed his hand on her thigh and she surprised herself when she didn't jump or swat it away. "Kate, you don't need to be here right now."

"No, I do."

"Shush." His tone had her quieting instantly. "You just solved her case yesterday. Take the day off."

Kate picked up the coffee cup, hugged it to her chest so the warmth spread across her breastbone. It was comforting as she took a deep breath. "Castle, I need to be here." She stopped his sentence in response with a finger over his lips, ignoring the quick flash of heat that zipped from her fingertip down to her stomach. "Because you're here and I have something to say to you."

His blue eyes were a mix of expectation, curiosity, and concern, but they held her gaze steadily.

"I love you."

And then, the sunlight finally broke through the rainclouds, peeking its way into the precinct through the windows near the staircase. Dawn flittered through the bullpen, landing on his face and spreading a smile across it that caused a mirrored reaction on her face.

Without a word, he plucked the coffee cup from her hands and set it next to his own on her desk. Before she could question him, Castle tugged her wrist so the wheelie chair slid forward until it bumped his knees. One hand came around the back of her head, his fingers tangling with her hair as he leaned forward so his lips were an inch from hers.

"I love you too," he whispered right before he kissed her. It was as gentle and sweet as the new day that had begun around them.

She smiled through the kiss, then rested her head against his, their noses brushing. "Thank you for waiting."

"I'd wait a lifetime for you, Kate."

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><p><em>AN: I'm serious this time. Probably no more from me until December 1st (and even then, I might need a few days to recover from NaNoWriMo). There may be one-shots, short like this one, thrown in here and there. But don't count on too many Author Alert e-mails about me shooting through space to your inboxes._

_With that said, I still accept reviews. They might be the pick-ups I'll need while struggling through NaNo._


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